


History of the Wrong Guys

by icedcoffeebro



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Coming Out, Friendship, M/M, Short Lived Crush, Trans Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., not romantic - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-28 21:19:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18764443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icedcoffeebro/pseuds/icedcoffeebro
Summary: Sonny comes out to Rafael.





	History of the Wrong Guys

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first Barisi fic I wrote, I decided not to make it romantic and only make it a friendship. Okay, cool.

Rafael Barba isn’t sure of what is going on. 

There is a new detective in the squad. And all Barba can notice is the ridiculous mustache on top of his lip. He’s transfixed by it. He imagines how it’d feel it against his skin as he made out with the young detective. Immediately after that thought, he shakes his head; what’s wrong with him? He doesn’t even know his name, and he was already envisioning how it’d be like to make out with his hideous mustache. He mentally tells himself to snap out of it, and heads to introduce himself to the newbie. 

He approaches the detective’s desk, who is bent over putting the contents of boxes into drawers. Rafael clears his throat, uncomfortable by the view which brings back his previous thoughts and introduces new (worse) ones. The blond man turns his head, and upon seeing the counselor, stands up straight, quickly attempts to smooth his shirt out, stretches his hand towards Rafael, and introduces himself with a wide smile on his face. 

“Pleasure to meet you. Detective Dominick Carisi Jr. from Staten Island, but you can call me Sonny,” he smiles even wider. Barba once again can only focus on his mustache. 

“The pleasure is all mine, uh, Sonny?” Barba waits for confirmation, which comes from Sonny in the form of a the happiest nod Barba has ever seen. He can’t help but smirk. “I’m ADA Rafael Barba, I work with SVU cases–,” Barba gets interrupted as he sees how Sonny’s face switches to one of disbelief.

“Oh, my God,” Sonny starts shaking Barba’s hand enthusiastically “it’s really you, counselor. I… admire your work, the way you won The People Vs. Roger Bart… Oh, my God”

“You’re really enthusiastic for a detective, Carisi” Barba smirks, unable to hide the ego boost this had just given him.

“I actually am a law student!” Carisi replies with his huge smile, “Uh, Fordham Law, nights,” he nods his head up and down, making Barba think he’s the cheeriest person he’s ever met, which breaks his heart a little. No person with this much joy should work in the sex crime unit; even his nihilistic self went home and cried after a specially heinous crime.

“Well Fordham Law,” Rafa says, making Carisi widen his smile, “I’ll leave you and your mustache to it,” the smile in Carisi’s face falls apart, his eyes drop into the saddest look Barba has ever seen, and that was saying something. He just walks away, feeling a sharp, quick pang on his chest. 

‘What was that?’ Barba thinks to himself as he walks to Liv’s office. He decides not to dwell on it, shakes his head, and gets inside the Sergeant’s office.

“Liv, what do you have for me?” he says, offering his friend a small smile.

_______________________________________________________________

 

The next day, after getting his second coffee of the day, Barba heads to the 16th Precinct to talk to the Sergeant. As he walks in, he can’t help but walk directly into Sonny’s desk. The young man has his face buried in a case file, completely oblivious to the arrival of his apparent idol. 

“Carisi” says Barba, trying to call attention to himself (his hobby), “hi” Carisi lowers the file, and Barba sees it; Carisi shaved his mustache, and the result isn’t pretty; he has cuts all over his upper lip, and it’s clear he has dried blood on his lower. Upon noticing Barba examining him, Carisi blushes and brings the file up to cover his face.

“Uh, counselor” he says with a formal nod “glad to have you here,” Barba nods and continues to stare, hoping to get an explanation “Uuh, you know, just had an altercation with the old shaving machine,” he spouts a clearly faked, painful single laugh. Barba rises his eyebrows. He considers questioning him further, there is clearly something else going on, but he decides against it.

“Rough,” Barba says, matter of factly, he turns to look at Olivia’s office, her door wide open and her nowhere to be found, “Where’s your boss?” Carisi shrugs, and Barba sits on his desk.

Carisi squints his eyes at Barba, sincerely hoping for a snarky comment about how glad Barba was about his mustache being gone, but it was clear he didn’t lose sleep over some facial hair. Not like Sonny did. 

“So,” Barba says, clearly willing to make Sonny less uncomfortable, something odd for him, as he usually didn’t have much regard for other people’s feelings, “how are you, uh, enjoying the precinct?” Sonny rises his non existent eyebrows, wondering if he is serious, upon examines the lawyer’s face, and seeing the considerate look on his face, lips pursed and eyes fixed on Carisi. He can’t help but blush at the lawyer paying his undivided attention to him.

“Uh” he blinks rapidly, trying to regain his composure “It’s nice? It’s–“ He stops talking before he can even start as he notices his boss, Olivia, has arrived. 

“Barba,” she says, sounding a bit surprised “Good to see you,” she opens her door, “we have a lot to talk about,” she quickly acknowledges her new detective before going into the office. 

“Well,” Barba gets off the desk, “I’ll talk to you later, detective,” he smirks at him and shakes his hand firmly once. He heads off to Liv’s office. 

“See you’re getting along with Carisi,” she tells him, tilting her head ever so slightly.

“He’s got a certain charm, I’ll admit” Barba smirks, “so, the case…”  
_______________________________________________________________

Barba is walking through the courthouse after talking to Judge Kofak, he takes a sip out of his coffee and sees Carisi clumsily jogging towards him.

“Counselor!” He says with his thick Staten Island accent, Barba makes the mental note that he looks like his legs are about to end up in a huge tangle with every dorky large sprint he does. He smirks at the thought, planning to point it out to him when the opportunity arises.  
“Detective Carisi, what a pleasure,” he continues walking, as the blond man reaches him and walks next to him, normal speed. 

“So Barba…” Sonny stops on the tracks, and the lawyer is slightly irritated that he’d stop in the middle of the way, but he notices the detective is nervous, so he doesn’t comment on it immediately, “would you, want to hang out at the bar tonight?”

The prosecutor pushes his eyebrows together, “What?” he asks, the detective and him had been lightly teasing each other since they first met, but Barba never thought – never allowed himself to think– that that was anything besides professional teasing. 

“I just,” he sighs, “I need to talk to you about somethin’, and… I don’t want to do it here, or in the precinct,”

Rafael tilts his head, examining the slim detective, “Alright?” he puts one foot in front of the other, signaling he’s about to leave to return to One Hogan Place “The usual spot?” he asks, meaning the bar where the whole squad usually met up.

Sonny nods, and so they part ways.

_______________________________________________________________

Rafael is on his usual place, tapping his empty whiskey glass. He then feels a hand on his back and the detective sitting next to him, “Hey,” Sonny says.

Rafael just nods his head to acknowledge him. Sonny calls the bartender over, ordering a beer. The bartender uncaps it in front of him.

“So,” Sonny says, upon taking a sip, “I wanted to tell you something,”

“I gathered as much,” he turns to face Sonny, “what is it?”

Sonny takes a deep breath, bites his lower lip, and then looks Barba in the eyes, “I’m trans,” he shrugs, taking the beer bottle to his lips, “that’s all,”

Rafael’s expression relaxes, the fear that his father had installed on him whenever someone wanted to ‘talk’ vanishing, “Thanks for trusting me,” he gives an earnest smile to Sonny.

“Amanda and Liv know,” Sonny rubs the back of his neck, “I consider you my friend, and I feel I can trust you,”

“I’m honored to hear that,” Rafael says, “anything else I should know?”

“Uh,” Sonny runs his hand through his chin, “remember my mustache?”

Rafael nods, confusion taking over his face, “I shaved it because you made a comment about it,” Sonny faces away from Rafael, “it was the first time a less than pathetic mustache grew on me, and I thought it’d make me pass better,” Sonny exhales loudly, “but apparently it just made me look ridiculous,”

“I never said that,” Rafael puts a hand on Sonny’s back, “I thought it was distinct,” he once again offers Sonny a smile.

Sonny looks at him, “Thank you,” they clink their glasses, Rafael’s having been served again by the bartender without needing to request it, after a few minutes of sitting comfortably in silence, “Doesn’t your name mean beard? You should grow one.”

Rafael just rolls his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't ask for porn for this, I don't wanna write that. 
> 
> I'm trans masc nb btw, just in case
> 
> twitter @rafaelbarbae


End file.
